Chapter 129 Frost Azure Flame
"Damn intruder," the Ghost Rider snarled, ghostly flames flickering in its eyes, burning with an all-seeing rage. "May you know endless torment in the fires of hell!" It glared at the scroll in Eric's hand, a flicker of what could almost be described as human disdain crossing its skeletal features.
Second-tier magic was potent, it was true, but it couldn't truly harm him.
Any other player witnessing the Ghost Rider's behavior would swear it wasn't an NPC but a player in disguise. The evolution of Divine Realms: Legends had brought with it a terrifying increase in the intelligence of high-level monsters.
The pale blue flames that cloaked the Ghost Rider's form abruptly vanished, converging on the skeletal greatsword in its grasp. The blade pulsed, the concentrated flames growing dozens of times larger, burning with an infernal light.
"All living beings must die!" Ghost Rider roared.
With a bellow that resonated through the very infrastructure of the plaza, the Ghost Rider summited the skeletal greatsword into the atmosphere.
The blade, as if imbued with a life of its own, transformed into a colossal serpent formed of pure, azure flame. The creature, easily ten meters tall, coiled in the air like a blazing tower, its jaws agape, fangs bared as it lunged for Eric.
Eric watched the flaming serpent hurtle towards him, its heat a tangible presence even from this distance. He was still in the midst of activating the golden scroll, the magic within resisting his call.
"Faster, damn it!" he urged under his breath, his heart pounding against his ribs. "Activate!"
The serpent drew closer, its fiery breath a searing wind on his face. Eric's anxiety spiked, but the activation bar on the scroll inched forward with agonizing slowness.
At the crucial moment when the flaming serpent was about to envelop him, the activation bar reached its maximum capacity.
System: [A weapon higher than Dark Iron Weapon is required for sacrifice. Sacrifice?]
Without a moment's hesitation, Eric chose the Crimson Edge. The blade, already on the verge of disintegration, was useless to him now.
In a heartbeat, the Crimson Edge flared with a blinding golden light, illuminating the entire plaza. A massive, golden magic circle materialized around Eric, expanding rapidly until it reached high into the air.
The flaming serpent, caught in the radiant glow, let out an earsplitting shriek of pain.
The Crimson Edge, transformed into a streak of golden light, shot skyward. In a breathtaking instant, it shattered into thousands upon thousands of golden holy swords. They rained down around Eric, forming a shimmering, impenetrable dome with a radius of ninety feet.
The flaming serpent, trapped within the sacred domain, found itself pinned by dozens of the holy swords. It thrashed and roared, but it was completely immobilized.
"Just in time," Eric breathed, a wave of relief washing over him.
The holy swords surrounded him, their points aimed outwards, encompassing the entire fountain within their protective embrace. He could finally claim his prize.
The golden scroll contained Eric's most powerful defensive spell: the Sword of Sacred Warding.
For thirty-six precious seconds, it would create an impenetrable barrier, resisting all attacks within its radius and suppressing any enemy caught within its confines. However, it was a double-edged sword. While active, Eric couldn't attack outward, and no enemy or attack from outside the dome could penetrate its defenses.
It was this very balance that earned the Sword of Sacred Warding its reputation as the strongest defensive scroll among all second-tier magic.
Eric estimated he needed five seconds to collect the Frost Azure Flame and another twenty-five to activate his return scroll. The timing was perfect.
Outside the dome, the Ghost Rider had been thrown into a berserker rage. It drew a massive, skeletal execution axe and slammed it repeatedly against the barrier, but the Sword of Sacred Warding held firm.
Its reputation as the strongest second-tier defensive spell was well-deserved. Even a third-tier spell wouldn't shatter it easily, let alone the attacks of a level 15 boss.
Within the dome, Eric reached the fountain and collected the blazing, second-tier exotic flame. Excitement surged through him, but he quickly tamped it down, activating Swordsoar Ascension and readying his return scroll.
"You will regret this, intruder!" the Ghost Rider bellowed, its voice echoing with pure, unadulterated rage. "I will make you wish for death!"
The flames surrounding it flared even brighter as it slammed the skeletal axe against the ground with earth-shattering force.
The plaza trembled, the ground cracking and splitting under the force of the blow. Dozens of fissures erupted, spewing flames and molten rock as debris was launched into the air.
For the first time, Eric truly understood the terrifying power the Ghost Rider possessed. Their previous exchange had been nothing more than a minor annoyance to this creature. If not for the Sword of Sacred Warding, even a first-tier defensive scroll would have crumbled under its assault.
Time ticked by with agonizing slowness as the Ghost Rider continued its frenzied assault, and each attack met with the impenetrable wall of the Sword of Sacred Warding.
It could only watch, helpless, as Eric prepared to escape with its treasure.
Two seconds remained on the return scroll's countdown. The Sword of Sacred Warding flickered, its energy nearly spent. The Ghost Rider, a cruel smile twisting its skeletal features, took two lightning-fast steps, closing the distance to Eric in the blink of an eye. It swung the execution axe in a brutal arc aimed at Eric's neck.
The axe stopped a hair's breadth from Eric's skin, the air crackling with the force of the blow.
Eric experienced a sudden onset of perspiration due to his anxiety. The velocity at which the enraged Ghost Rider traversed surpassed any speed he had previously encountered. Had he not initiated Swordsoar Ascension previously...
The second-tier Swordsoar Ascension granted immunity to four melee attacks and seven ranged attacks. It had absorbed one blow, leaving three more.
The Ghost Rider, its ghostly flames flickering in confusion, wasted no time. It attacked again and again, a whirlwind of fury.
The second strike!
The third!
The fourth!
Three blows landed in rapid succession, exhausting Swordsoar Ascension's protection. The Ghost Rider, sensing victory, swung the axe horizontally, aiming to cleave Eric in two.
At that critical moment, the return scroll activated. Eric vanished in a flash of white light, leaving the Ghost Rider's axe to cleave through empty air.
The Ghost Rider roared in frustration, its rage echoing through the empty plaza. The Frost Azure Flame, its treasure, the key to its evolution from a cursed spirit into the fearsome Ghost Rider, was gone. Stolen right before its very eyes.
It had planned to use the flame to fuel its ascension to true lordship. With that power, it could lay waste to the nearby towns and villages, bolstering its spectral army, and spreading terror and death in its wake.
And now, it was all gone because of a single, insignificant intruder.
Eric reappeared in Willowbrook Town, a wave of relief washing over him. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart still pounding in his chest.
One second later, and he would be dead. Two precious second-tier scrolls were wasted, and the Frost Azure Flame lost, perhaps forever.
But he had it now. The risk, the cost, it had all been worth it.
As for the Ghost Rider... Well, high-level bosses were walking treasure troves. If he could find a way to defeat it, the rewards would be more than worth the effort.
He'd initially considered assembling a team to take down the Ghost Rider, but now he realized it was far too risky and logistically difficult. Selling the information, perhaps to Isabella or Thornheart, would be far more efficient. Large guilds lived for this kind of challenge. Every elite monster, every boss, was a potential gold mine. They were the only ones capable of mobilizing hundreds of players on short notice. In Silvervale City, a force of thousands wouldn't be out of the question.
Thousands of players against the Ghost Rider... The casualties would be significant, but with the information he possessed, they could formulate a winning strategy.
As Eric made his way towards the Blacksmith Association, eager to test the properties of the Frost Azure Flame, he noticed a commotion in the town square. Players were clustered together, their voices buzzing with excitement and apprehension.
"Have you heard? The Martial Alliance has announced that anyone who kills Kai Blackthorn will be rewarded with ten thousand credits. Killing Kai Blackthorn's teammates will earn you a thousand credits, and providing Kai Blackthorn's exact location will get you 2 silver coins. This is a fight to the death."
"I've heard. The forums are already blowing up. Many assassin players can't wait to start searching. Even if they can't kill that expert Kai Blackthorn, they can kill his teammates. A thousand credits per kill is no small amount. That expert Kai Blackthorn will have a hard time in Willowbrook Town now."
"What can you do? When big guilds flex their muscles, everyone else gets trampled."
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